Electoral Systems Evidence Flashcards
(57 cards)
What constitutional reforms did Blair’s government pass between 1997–2001?
Over 50 reforms including devolution and House of Lords reform
What was Labour’s performance in the 1997 General Election?
43.2% of the vote, 63.4% of seats, 179-seat majority
How did Alex Salmond’s Alba Party attempt to game AMS in 2021?
Encouraged SNP votes on constituency ballot and Alba votes on regional list
What was turnout for the 2016 London Assembly elections?
45.3%
How did the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats perform in the 2019 election in terms of vote share versus seats?
Conservatives: 43.6% of the vote, 56.2% of seats; Lib Dems: 11.5% of the vote, 1.7% of seats
How many competitive seats were there in the 2019 General Election?
120 out of 650
How many seats did the Alliance Party win in the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election?
17 seats under STV
How does the Alliance Party campaign under STV in Northern Ireland?
Targets second- and third-preference votes
What voter confusion issue was reported by the McLeish Commission in 2008?
Confusion over the roles of constituency and list MSPs
What concern did the Electoral Reform Society raise about AMS regional list MSPs?
They are less known and have weaker accountability
What was Labour’s share of the constituency and regional vote in the 1999 Scottish Parliament election?
38.8% constituency vote, 33.6% regional vote
What voting pattern was seen in Scotland under AMS in 2021?
Many Labour voters chose Labour in constituency vote but Green or SNP in regional list vote
What turnout was achieved in the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly elections under STV?
63.6%
When did the SNP form a minority and then a majority government under AMS?
Minority in 2007, small majority in 2011 (69 out of 129 seats)
What evidence of tactical voting was there in 2019?
Labour and Lib Dem supporters coordinated in seats like Kensington
Which party topped the 2014 European Parliament elections in the UK and what share did they get?
UKIP, 26.6% of the vote
What was the outcome of the 2010 UK general election?
Hung parliament: Conservatives 36%, Labour 29%, Lib Dems 23%
What was the Conservative vote share and majority in 1979?
44% of the vote, majority of 43 seats
How did devolution affect Scottish political culture?
Shift towards multi-party governance, Labour-Lib Dem coalition (1999–2007), SNP-Green agreement (2021)
What percentage of UK constituencies were classified as safe seats in 2017?
56% (368 out of 650 constituencies)
What was the 2001 UK General Election turnout?
59.4%
How did Sinn Féin perform in the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election under STV?
29% of first preferences, 27 out of 90 seats (30%)
What trend has UK elections seen since 2015 despite FPTP?
More fragmentation (e.g., SNP winning 56 seats in 2015)
How did the BNP perform in the 2009 European Parliament elections?
Gained 2 seats with 6% of the vote
